Red Penstemon

Up the back of the Island Bed I grow colourful perennials like this red flowering Penstemon. There are lots of red dahlias nearby, and a bright green flax.

Red Penstemon Flower

The back of the border gets extremely dry and sun-baked in high summer. The soil is quite sandy, too, and the large gum trees in the Hump are too close for comfort.

A Hot Border?

My specially purchased red dahlia Bishop Llandaff used to grow next-door to the red Penstemon, together with a random patch of bright orange Calendulas and other self-sown dahlias. If I had been better organised I could have turned this area totally into a 'hot colours' border. Hmm...